Sewing machine

ABSTRACT

The sewing machine has a frame formed from a base, a pillar, an upper arm, a head and a free arm, and three panels cooperating with the frame, to form a protective case for the machine on storage. The front face of the head is of a shape substantially corresponding to the free end of the upper face of the free arm. One of the panels has a cut-out area the edges of which surround either the front face of the head in storage position of the machine, or the upper face of the free arm in one of the positions of use of the machine. The panel having the cut-out area then forms with the upper face of the free arm, a widened work surface.

United. States Patent 1191 Robert-Nicoud SEWING MACHINE [75] Inventor: Florian R0be rt-Nic0ud,Cointrin,

Switzerland 6 [73] Assignee: Mefina S.A., Fribourg, Switzerland [22] Filed: May 23, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 363,242

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 9, 1972 Switzerland 8565/72 [52] US Cl. 112/258 [51] Int. Cl. D05b 73/10, D05b 77/00 [58] Field of Search 112/258, 260, 217.1

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,958,304 11/1960 Arbib..'. 112/260 3,570,430 3/1971 Fresard 112/258 3,646,900 3/1972 Fresard...; 112/258 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 518,729 3/l955 ltaly 1l2/26O 1451 Dec. '31, 1974 Primary Examiner-Ge0rge H. Krizinanich Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Emory L. Groff, Jr.

[5 7] ABSTRACT The sewing machine has a frame formed from a base, a pillar, an upper arm, a head and a free arm, and three panels cooperating with the frame, to form a protective case for the machine on storage. The front face of the head is of a shape substantially corresponding to the free end of the upper face of the free arm.

One of the panels has a cut-out area the edges of which surround either the front face of the head in storage position of the machine, or the upper face of the free arm in one of the positions of use of the machine. The panel having the cut-out area then forms with the upper face .of the free arm, a widened work surface.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures SHEET 2 UF 2 PATENTEI] UEC3 1 I974 1 SEWING MACHINE The invention relates to a sewing machine comprising a frame formed from a base, a pillar, an upper arm, a head and a free arm, and three panels cooperating with the frame, to form a protective case for the machine when it is stored.

Free arm sewing machines are already known which can be stored in a case of which one portion has a channel intended to surround the free arm of the machine, to form a widened work surface in one of its positions of use.

Other known machines comprise a frame for the free arm provided with flaps hinged to the frame to form acase with the frame of the machine, the frame for the free arm being separable therefrom in the open position of the flaps, to disengage the free arm.

It is an object of the invention to reduce the number of elements of such a device enabling, on one hand, protection of the machine in storage position and, on the other hand, to form a widened work surface in position of use.

The machine according to the invention is characterised in that the front surface of its head is of a shape substantially corresponding to the free end of the upper surface of the free arm, one of the panels having a cutout area the edges of which surround either the front face of the head in the position of storage of the machine, or the upper surface of the free arm in one of the positions of use of the machine, the panel with the cutout area then forming with the upper surface of the free arm a widened work surface.

The accompanying drawing shows, diagrammatically and by way of example, one embodiment of the machine according to the invention wherein.

As seen in the drawing, the machine comprises a.

frame 1 comprising a base 2, a pillar 3, an upper arm 4, provided with a head 5, and a free arm 6. The front face 7 of the head 5 is of a shape corresponding sub- FIG. 1 thereof is a view of the sewing machine and.

stantially to the free end 8 of the upper face 9 of the free arm 6.

The protective case comprises on the other hand three panels 10, ll, 12, hinged to one another along by their facing edges. One of the free edges of the middle panel 11 has a cut-out area 13 the edges of which surround either the front face 7 of the head 5 of the machine in the storage position of the machine (FIG. 1), or the free end 8 of the upper face 9 of the free arm 6 in a first position of use of the machine.

In this first position of use of the machine shown in FIG. 2, the panel 11 forms with the free arm 6 a widened work surface, the panels 10 and 11 forming access ramps to this widened work surface.

Connecting members, magnetic for example, enable the panels 10 to 12 to be held applied against the frame of the machine in storage position (FIG. I).

Support members, such as removable catches (not shown) with which the free arm 6 is provided, enable the edges of the channel 13 of the panel to be held flush with its upper surface 9 in the position of use of the machine with a widened work surface.

Panel 11 is hinged to the base 2 of the machine by rods 14, enabling it-to occupy successively the positions shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 3 corresponds to the second position of use of the machine in which the panel 11 rests flat on the base 2 of the machine, the .free arm 6 being thus entirely disengaged.

Numerous modifications of the embodiment described and shown in the drawing could be envisaged.

Instead of being solely hinged at the end of the-rods 14, the panel 11 could, for example, be mounted slidably on the hinged end of the rods 14. After having been brought to the level of the upper face 9 of the free arm 6, it can thus be pushed in the direction of the pillar 3 and be supported on a supporting .rim which-can be provided on the free arm 6, at the periphery of its upper surface 9.

In a simplified modification, the three panels 10 to 12 hinged to one another could, of course, be independent of the frame 1 of the machine.

I claim:

I. In a sewing machine comprising a frame including surround the edges of the front face of the head when' the panels are in a storage position, said panel having thecut-out area disposed between said other two panels, the edges of said cut-out area surrounding the edges of the upper face of said free arm when said panels are in a position permitting use of the machine, said panel with the cut-out area then providing, in cooperation with the upper face of said free arm, a widened work surface. 2. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the panel provided with said cut-out area is hinged with respect to the frame, so as to be'displaceable between a'position substantially perpendicular to the base in which the edges of the cut-out area surround the edges of the front face of the head, a first substantially horizontal position in which the edges of the cut-out area surround the edges of the upper face of the free arm and a second substantially horizontal position in which it rests on the base of the machine.

3. Machine according to claim 1, wherein rods hingedly connect the panel provided with said cut-out area to the base of the machine.

4. Machine according to claim 2, wherein rods hingedly connect the panel provided with said cut-out area to the base of the machine.

5. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the panels hinged to the panel having said cut-out area form access ramps to the widened work surface of the machine when the edges of the cut-out area surround the-edges of. the free end of the upper face of the free arm.

6. Machine according to claim 2, wherein the panels hinged to the panel having said cut-out area form access ramps to the widened work surface of the machine when the edges of the cut-out area surround the edges of the free end of the upper face of the free arm.

7. In a sewing machine comprising a frame including a base, a pillar, an upper arm, a head and a free arm,

area marginally surrounding the front face of the head when the panels are in a storage position, the edges of said cut-out area marginally surrounding the upper face of said free arm when said panels are in a position permitting use of the machine, said panel with the cut-out area then providing, in cooperation with the upper face of said free arm, a widened work surface, 

1. In a sewing machine comprising a frame including a base, a pillar, an upper arm, a head and a free arm, the improvement comprising three adjacent panels hinged to each other along their facing edges and cooperating with said frame to provide a protective case for the machine for storage, the edges of the front face of the head being of a shape substantially corresponding to the edges of the upper face of the free arm, one of said panels having a cut-out area the edges of which surround the edges of the front face of the head when the panels are in a storage position, said panel having the cut-out area disposed between said other two panels, the edges of said cut-out area surrounding the edges of the upper face of said free arm when said panels are in a position permitting use of the machine, said panel with the cut-out area then providing, in cooperation with the upper face of said free arm, a widened work surface.
 2. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the panel provided with said cut-out area is hinged with respect to the frame, so as to be displaceable between a position substantially perpendicular to the base in which the edges of the cut-out area surround the edges of the front face of the head, a first substantially horizontal position in which the edges of the cut-out area surround the edges of the upper face of the free arm and a second substantially horizontal position in which it rests on the base of the machine.
 3. Machine according to claim 1, wherein rods hingedly connect the panel provided with said cut-out area to the base of the machine.
 4. Machine according to claim 2, wherein rods hingedly connect the panel provided with said cut-out area to the base of the machine.
 5. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the panels hinged to the panel having said cut-out area form access ramps to the widened work surface of the machine when the edges of the cut-out area surround the edges of the free end of the upper face of the free arm.
 6. Machine according to claim 2, wherein the panels hinged to the panel having said cut-out area form access ramps to the widened work surface of the machine when the edges of the cut-out area surround the edges of the free end of the upper face of the free arm.
 7. In a sewing machine comprising a frame including a base, a pillar, an upper arm, a head and a free arm, the improvement comprising three panels each cooperating with said frame and with each other to provide a protective case for the machine for storage, the front face of the head being of a shape substantially corresponding to the shape of the upper face of the free arm, one of said panels having a cut-out area, the shape of said cut-out area substantially corresponding to the shape of the front face of the head and the shape of the upper face of the free arm, the edges of said cut-out area marginally surrounding the front face of the head when the panels are in a storage position, the edges of said cut-out area marginally surrounding the upper face of said free arm when said panels are in a position permitting use of the machine, said panel with the cut-out area then providing, in cooperation with the upper face of said free arm, a widened work surface. 